The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday said it has arrested two persons for harbouring the terrorists who had killed five innocent civilians in Dhangri village of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir in January this year.
The duo, Nisar Ahmed alias Haji Nisar and Mushtaq Hussain, were formally arrested by the NIA on Thursday in the case. They were produced before NIA Special Court, Jammu on Friday and were sent to 12-day NIA custody. Incidentally, both the accused were currently lodged in Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu in another case , registered at Police Station Gursai, Mendhar, Poonch. On January 1, 2023, five persons were killed and others seriously injured in an attack by unknown terrorists.
The case was initially registered at Rajouri police station under Indian Penal Code sections relating to murder, attempt to murder, grievous hurt and criminal conspiracy besides relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act besides Sections of the Arms Act. Earlier the NIA had taken over and re-registered the case on January 13.”Investigations revealed that both the arrested accused persons were involved in harbouring the terrorists who had carried out the shocking killings of the civilians.
They had provided logistics support to the terrorists for more than two months and had sheltered them in a hideout, which was constructed by the arrested accused persons on the directions of Pakistan based Lashkar-e- Tayyiba (LeT) handlers namely Saifullah alias Sajid Jutt, Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi and Mohd. Qasim,” the NIA said in a statement.
During the course of investigation of the case pertaining to the killing of innocent civilians at Dhangri, Rajouri, a team of NIA officials camped for some time in the hilly terrain of Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts of Jammu and Kashmir and examined a large number of suspicious entities and later zeroed in on the above mentioned accused persons who had provided the hideout, the agency said, further investigation of the case is under process.